British Midland Airways Limited facts for kids
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Founded | 1938 as Air Schools Limited |
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Ceased operations | 27 October 2012 (integrated into British Airways) |
Hubs | London Heathrow Airport |
Frequent-flyer program | Diamond Club |
Alliance | Star Alliance |
Subsidiaries | |
Fleet size | 27 |
Destinations | 35 |
Company slogan | Better for Business (2009–2010) |
Parent company |
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Headquarters | Donington Hall, Castle Donington, United Kingdom |
Key people |
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British Midland Airways Limited, often called BMI, was an airline from the United Kingdom. Its main office was at Donington Hall in Castle Donington, near East Midlands Airport. BMI flew to many places in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia. Its main hub was London Heathrow Airport. At Heathrow, BMI had a lot of take-off and landing slots. This meant it could run over 2,000 flights every week.
BMI was once owned by a German airline called Lufthansa. In December 2011, Lufthansa decided to sell BMI. The buyer was International Airlines Group (IAG), which also owns British Airways. This sale did not include BMI's smaller airlines, Bmibaby and BMI Regional. BMI Regional was later sold to another company in May 2012. In April 2012, it was announced that BMI would fully join British Airways by the end of October 2012.
BMI had a special licence from the Civil Aviation Authority. This licence allowed it to carry passengers, cargo, and mail on planes with 20 or more seats. Skytrax, a company that rates airlines, gave BMI a 3-star rating.
History of BMI
BMI started a long time ago, in 1938. It was first known as Air Schools Limited. Over the years, the airline grew and changed its name several times. It became British Midland Airways Limited, or BMI, which many people knew.
Where BMI Flew
BMI's main base was London Heathrow Airport. From there, it offered flights to many different countries. You could fly with BMI to places across Europe. It also had routes to countries in the Middle East and Africa. Some flights even went as far as Central Asia.
Joining British Airways
After being sold by Lufthansa, BMI began to merge with British Airways. This process happened in 2012. By October 2012, BMI was fully integrated into British Airways. This meant that BMI flights and operations became part of British Airways.
Images for kids
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Canadair C-4 Argonaut G-ALHS of Derby Airways at Manchester Airport on 20 August 1962.
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Douglas C-47 Dakota wearing British Midland's initial colour scheme in 1965.
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British Midland Airways Viscount 814 G-BAPF at Paris Orly in June 1981.
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British Midland Airways Boeing 707-338C G-BFLE at Paris Charles de Gaulle in 1982.
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Passengers boarding Viscount 813 G-AZNA at Teesside Airport on 21 June 1987.
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Two McDonnell Douglas DC-9s at Teesside Airport in 1994. (Note the aircraft in the foreground is a series 10 featuring only one pair of overwing exits while the aircraft in the background is a series 30 featuring two pairs of overwing exits.)
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Boeing 737-5Q8 G-BVZH landing at Edinburgh Airport on 5 May 2001.
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The BMI training centre at the Stockley Close Industrial Estate near London Heathrow Airport
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BMI Regional Embraer ERJ 145 G-RJXD landing at London Heathrow Airport in August 2007.
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BMI Airbus A319-100
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BMI Airbus A330-200
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A British Midland Douglas DC-9-32
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British Midland Canadair C-4 G-ALHG at Manchester Airport on 29 August 1965.
See also
In Spanish: Bmi para niños